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Max Verstappen endured a weekend to forget in Shanghai, failing to score a single point and struggling to keep pace in every session. The Dutch Red Bull driver was noticeably frustrated, not just by the new Formula 1 regulations, but by a car that proved increasingly difficult to drive. Verstappen has now called on his team to address these significant performance gaps as the season moves into its next phase.
Frustration peaks after Shanghai DNF
The weekend was a stark contrast to the season opener in Australia, where Red Bull seemed to have a solid foundation. In China, however, everything appeared to go wrong. Verstappen struggled with a huge deficit to his rivals and consistent issues during race starts, which often left him buried in the pack. His race finally ended in retirement with ten laps to go, following persistent technical problems.
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Addressing the international media, Verstappen dismissed the idea that the RB22's potential was being fully realized. "You don't know that, but I do," he remarked regarding the car's supposed promise. "I didn't expect to be close to Mercedes and Ferrari, but this weekend was really particularly bad. I hope it doesn't stay this way, but the biggest problem this week was truly the car."
Red Bull faces a steep climb
Verstappen is under no illusions about the work required to catch Mercedes, Ferrari, or McLaren. He remains hopeful that the upcoming weeks, aided by the cancellation of races in the Middle East, will provide the team with the necessary time to extract more performance. However, he also acknowledges that their competitors will be using that same window to further their own development programs.
"We are really not where we want to be," Verstappen admitted. "I know everyone is doing their best, and the team is likely as frustrated as I am. But we want to perform better. Hopefully, we can already take a step forward in Japan." The pressure is now on the Milton Keynes factory to deliver the upgrades needed to prevent another "horror weekend" for the four-time world champion.
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